Method of reducing ores.



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KARL ALBERT FREDRIK HIORTH, or CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY.

I METHOD OF REDUCING ORES.

No Drawin g.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

Application filed February 10, 1908. Serial No. 415,168.

"invented certain new and useful lmprovements in the Method of ReducingOres; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full. clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My ,invention" relates to an improved method of reducing ores,especially iron ores/ In reducing ores in furnaces it-has on ac count ofthe character of the process been necessary to-make use of fuel, such ascharcoal or a product ofmineral coal as reduction agent.v In electricfurnaces there is no necessity for using a fuelas reduction agent, asthenecessary temperature can be pro-' duced entirely by the electriccurrent.

My invention consists in utilizing graphite rock as a reduction agent,in such cases" where the necessary temperature is obtained by w'ayofelectricity.

Experiments have shown, that natural graphiterock (not pure graphite)contains iii-ncldition to s1l1 ca, m1n erals of a basic natu ewhlclractas a flux and can to great adyantage, be utilized as a reduction agentGraphite rock containing silica is found in large quantities but isvalueless for a lead pencil or crucible material and therefore formingat present no valuable raw-material therefining of which would berenninerative'. This graphite rock can be used in unrefined or inrefined condition as a reduction agent for iron ore in electricfurnaces. Notburn-,

ing in air and not combining with the oxygen of the. air until it isintensely red-hot, while it has apowerful reducing effect on iron oreelectrically heated, such graphite is exceedingly lit for a reductionagent. Graphite rock of this kind melts and forms a flux together withthe silica, and from this reason the process is a very simple and rapidone; Graphite in addition hereto is in itself an exceedingly purecarbon; and the kind of graphite hereinbefore particularly referredto'can be had substantially free from sulfur and phosphorus which is notthe case with any kind of mineral coal.

Experiments show thatby using graphite as a reduction agent a very puresteel-like iron is obtained direct from the ore.

expensive, be utilized (reduced) inan economicmanner with the use ofgraphite as a reduction agent.

Claims,

"It The method of reducing ores which consists in mixing the ore withgraphite rock containing silica and a basic material and subjecting themixture to an electric current. 2. The method of reducing ores whichconsists in mixing iron ore with graphite rock containing silica and abasic material 'and heating the mixture by an electric current until therock is completelyfused.

In testimony that 1101mm the foregoing as my inventipn, l? have signedmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses KARL ALBERT FREDRIKHIORlll.

\Vit'nesses:

HENRY Bouonwrcn, Ace. OLSEN.

Poor 'ores can thus 111 places where suitable fuel. is-

